University of Minnesota Athletics
Photo by: AP
Van Rooyen wins first PGA TOUR title at Barracuda Championship
8/9/2021 4:00:00 PM | Men's Golf
Former University of Minnesota men's golfer Erik van Rooyen won the Barracuda Championship on Sunday for his first PGA TOUR title, finishing with 50 points in the modified Stableford scoring system.
Van Rooyen eagled the par-4 eighth and closed with a birdie on the par-4 18th for a five-point victory over Andrew Putnam at Tahoe Mountain Club's Old Greenwood Course. Van Rooyen had a 16-point final round, making the eagle, six birdies and a bogey.
Players receive eight points for an albatross, five for eagle, two for birdie and zero for par. A point is subtracted for a bogey, and three points are taken away for a double bogey or worse.
"I just stayed so patient," van Rooyen said to ESPN. "I saw that Andrew Putnam got off to a really, really quick start. He was 45 points pretty early on and there's really nothing I could do about that. I've got to put one foot in front of the next. I did that and then the eagle on eight was just a massive boost."
A native of Oudtshoorn, South Africa, van Rooyen was a three-time NCAA regional qualifier during his time as a Gopher, and thrice finished among the top-10 at the Big Ten Championships. Van Rooyen played in three NCAA Regionals and was a three-time All-Region honoree with the Maroon and Gold.
Previously, his best finish of his professional career occurred earlier this season when he tied for third at the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship.
Van Rooyen eagled the par-4 eighth and closed with a birdie on the par-4 18th for a five-point victory over Andrew Putnam at Tahoe Mountain Club's Old Greenwood Course. Van Rooyen had a 16-point final round, making the eagle, six birdies and a bogey.
Players receive eight points for an albatross, five for eagle, two for birdie and zero for par. A point is subtracted for a bogey, and three points are taken away for a double bogey or worse.
Bringing home the win in style. 🏆@FredVR_ finishes the job @CudaChamp! pic.twitter.com/4S5p9Dr0zG
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 9, 2021
"I just stayed so patient," van Rooyen said to ESPN. "I saw that Andrew Putnam got off to a really, really quick start. He was 45 points pretty early on and there's really nothing I could do about that. I've got to put one foot in front of the next. I did that and then the eagle on eight was just a massive boost."
A native of Oudtshoorn, South Africa, van Rooyen was a three-time NCAA regional qualifier during his time as a Gopher, and thrice finished among the top-10 at the Big Ten Championships. Van Rooyen played in three NCAA Regionals and was a three-time All-Region honoree with the Maroon and Gold.
Previously, his best finish of his professional career occurred earlier this season when he tied for third at the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship.
Crousore Bunker Shot: 2025 B1Gs
Monday, April 28
Galdos Hole-in-One: 2025 B1Gs
Friday, April 25
Gopher Golf Facilities
Sunday, August 18
Cinematic Recap: Gopher Invitational
Monday, September 18